Long-term care insurance first was introduced in the late 1970s, but in recent years, it has become a much more important element of retirement planning thanks to twin rises in health care costs and longevity.

A new database, created as part of the New York settlement with insurance companies over out-of-network coverage, estimates the cost of a wide range of different procedures. The tool gives consumers a better idea of their expected bills.

If you think there have to be better ways for an uninsured person to get health care than robbing a bank, you're right. Yes, most people get their health insurance from their employers, but if you're one of the nation's nearly 14 million unemployed, you still have options. Here's what you need to know.

Whistleblowing firm Ven-A-Care has recovered $2 billion for taxpayers by suing drug companies that overcharge the government and create windfalls for participating pharmacies. It also has made $380 million for itself. What's the problem with that?

An international survey of 11 industrialized nations reveals that adults in the U.S. are by far the most likely to go without health care or skip filling a prescription because of costs, due to a high-cost health care system that lags behind those of other modern countries.

Inflation has remained flat, and that means Social Security recipients will get no increase in their benefits this year. As medical costs keep growing -- and after a proposed Social Security bonus failed to win approval -- that's unlikely to make retired voters happy.